Hometown Brew: Welcome to Ann Arbor

Recently, a visitor to BeerFestivals.org asked me where I "drink locally." For me, "local" means Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I've lived and worked for 30 years. Perhaps my bias is showing, but the city turns out some fine, and, I might add, underappreciated, beer.

Ann Arbor's population is only 114,110--the University of Michigan's football stadium could hold them all--but the city offers something for every taste. Where else in America can you watch a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company, then discuss it over a pint of cask-conditioned British bitter?

Ann Arbor hasn't always been a beer Mecca. Michigan was a latecomer to the craft-brewing party--brewpubs weren't legalized until 1994--but local brewmasters quickly caught up with the rest of the country. The city's brewing revolution started when Arbor Brewing Company (114 East Washington Street; 734.213.1393) opened its doors. Its owners, Matt and Rene Greff, aimed to create a true pub, a place where the entire family can have a good time. They've done just that: Arbor Brewing is popular with local families; out-of-town brewpub owners have noticed as well, voting it "Best Brewpub in the Midwest." The pub has recently expanded, and now includes a tap room and a beer cellar.

The Greffs, like many brewpub owners, started out as homebrewers. And they haven't been shy about experimenting: the beer menu features a number of styles not often found on tap. One of them is Big Ben House Mild, a golden_colored ale with a hint of fruit. Mild ale is a classic style that fell out of favor because of its working_stiff image; Britain's Campaign for Real Ale has worked hard to revive it, and Americans also have begun to appreciate it. Another Arbor Brewing mainstay is Old #22 German Alt, a dark, malty ale which compares favorably to the Altbier served in Düsseldorf.

Fittingly for a college town, Arbor Brewing offers continuing education in the form of monthly beer tastings. Each tasting has a different theme (pale ale, for instance), with 15 to 30 examples served along with appetizers. Those who attend "class" are given a program with information on the style and tasting notes on each beer. Learning was never this much fun during my student days at Michigan.

A couple blocks to the west, you'll find Grizzly Peak Brewing Company (120 West Washington Street; 734.741.PEAK), part of a growing family of brewpubs and restaurants. It occupies the former site of the Old German Restaurant, whose closing is still mourned by old-time Ann Arborites. But Grizzly Peak has become a popular dinner destination in its own right; dishes ranging from ruby red trout and maple pork chops to wood_fired pizzas are served in the breweriana-filled dining room. New Year's, Father's Day, and other holidays are celebrated with special brewer's dinners, with each course paired with a Grizzly Peak ale, some taken from the brewmaster's private reserve.

Grizzly Peak is more than a restaurant that happens to serve beer. A solid-five-beer lineup__all of them ales__has been on tap since the brewpub opened: Victors Golden Ale, Grizzly Peak Pale Ale, Steelhead Red, Bear Paw Porter, and County Cork Irish Stout. They're joined by a rotating "sixth tap," which might be anything from a Maibock to a Belgian-style trippel. Cask_conditioned selections are also available; in fact, brewmaster Ron Jeffries brought home two silver medals from this year's Real Ale Festival in Chicago.

At Leopold Brothers of Ann Arbor (523 South Main Street; 734.747.9806), the newest brewpub in town, "Think Globally, Drink Locally" is more than just a slogan. Brewmaster Joel Leopold and his brother Scott claim to have opened the world's first "ecobrewery." They recycle the spent grains, and even the heat, water, and carbon dioxide from the brewing process, and use brewing by_products to grow organic produce in their on_premises greenhouse. Glass windows behind the taproom give customers a look at what's growing.

Leopold Brothers' decor reflects a mix of styles: German beer hall, British pub, and West Coast alehouse, plus offbeat items like couches for students who've been up late cramming for finals. As for the beers themselves, they're German_style, unfiltered, and strictly organic. The selections include Pilsner, Hefeweizen and Dunkelweizen, Schwarzbier (a rich black beer enjoying a revival in Bavaria), red and golden lager, and Kölsch. And if you get there fast, you might find the last of this year's Oktoberfest beer; the version brewed at Leopold Brothers is a Vienna-style lager similar to the beer once served at Munich's Oktoberfest.

Along with the beer, there's a recently-expanded food selection, featuring sausage and cheese plates, antipasto, and homemade hummus along with chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, and grilled sausages. For diversion, there are dart boards and pool tables, and even a bubble hockey table; and, for the more quietly competitive, classic board games like Sorry and Clue.

Ashley's Restaurant and Pub (338 South State Street; 734.996.9191) is a little place on the edge of campus with an impressive range of beers. Ashley's calls itself "Michigan's premier multi_tap," and backs that claim up by offering 65 draft beers, including 18 from in-state breweries. Hand-pumped Fuller's London Pride is also available. Don't fret if they're out of your first choice; there probably are other beers of the same style to choose from. Ashley's also stocks a selection of bottled beers from North America and Europe.

If you're not sure what to order, or unfamiliar with Michigan-made beer, the bar staff has assigned each beer on the menu a "Flavor Rating," a subjective evaluation of its overall flavor, body, bitterness, and finish. If nothing else, the ratings are a good conversation starter. The menu, which features a glossary of beer terms, is available on Ashley's website, so there's no excuse for neglecting your homework.

One final word of friendly advice: If you're coming to Ann Arbor by car, make sure you feed the parking meters, and avoid no-parking zones like the plague. If you don't, you'll run into our local version of the Welcome Wagon--namely, a tow truck.